A Rhapsody in Crimson
by Topaz Amaranth
Summary: Murderous intent. An animosity so strong that those of the shinobi can actually feel it. . . and Sasuke begins to wonder why it follows Naruto about the village, and why everyone -- anyone -- could hate an idiot like Naruto. . . (mild AU, sasunaru, s-ai)
1. Acapella

Chapter One

"Acapella"

**a·ca·pel·la** _n._ One or more vocalists performing without an accompaniment.

-o-o-o-

* * *

-o-o-o- 

Naruto, immature as it might sound, started it.

"Sasuke!" I'd been heading home from a particularly depressing mission. I hadn't even had to arm myself; what I wanted was to sleep. Whatever Naruto had in mind -- or even if Naruto decided to stay in a forty foot radius -- sleep was not an option.

I ignored him. I knew it wouldn't work, it never did. In fact, it just seemed to aggravate him more. Which was always fun. "Oi," He yelled louder, even though he was closer and didn't have to. "Uchiha bastard!"

Subtle, Naruto. I suppressed an urge to roll my eyes. "Idiot."

He scowled at me, for no other reason then for calling him an idiot. Naruto jogged around to my front and stopped, chattering while lifting a small scroll into sight, pointing to the address he showed in plain view.

"Where is this?" He demanded brashly. Have I mentioned how subtle Naruto is? "I'm supposed to deliver this," he started loudly, "and its on the other side of town. . . "

Pretending I hadn't noticed him standing in front of me, I kept walking, forcing him to walk backwards. I deigned to raise my eyes from my feet to look at him, just a moment, but in that moment I made the mistake I often make: I looked into his eyes.

I'm a Sharingan user. I know the danger of looking into peoples eyes more acutely then most.

Naruto's eyes were very, very dangerous to those unused to them.

Perhaps only certain people are vulnerable to them, but it can be difficult to look away. They're wide, and deep, and you get the feeling that there's more to them then you can see. . . The description most people use is sky blue, but . . . I'll be honest. I've never seen a sky as blue as those eyes.

I covered my mistake by staring past him over his shoulder. "Idiot."

His eyes scrunched shut, and his cheeks "Is that all you can say?!" Naruto wasn't looking where he was going, and his heel caught on a stone. He squawked with his usual grace, which is to say none at all, and almost toppled over on his backside. On pure instinct, my hand shot out and grabbed the front of his collar, getting an easy grip on the fur lining.

Naruto's reflexes kicked in a half second too late, and with an awkward scramble managed to plant his feet into a semblance of balance. He took another few seconds to realize what had occured -- I don't save him when it's unecessary -- and he blinked at me.

That's another dangerous aspect to Naruto's eyes. They blink distractingly, and have abnormally long eyelashes. I'm not sure what factor the eyelashes play in anything, but I certainly don't pay attention to anyone else's so . . . there must be something there.

Only slightly surprised by my saving action, I brought back my hand and placed it back into my pocket. Naruto stayed frozen, enough time for me to walk around him and let out a short "Hn." before continuing to walk as though nothing had happened.

" . . . uppity bastard." I could hear Naruto mumble before following me, and I struggled for something clever to say before he said something else even more annoying.

". . . Idiot."

Well, damn, aren't I creative.

"Didn't you hear me?" Naruto whined.

I snorted, and took another look at the scroll. Damn. The address was in the complete opposite direction of my house . . . But . . . Like I'd get any sleep if I knew Naruto was completely and utterly lost in his own village.

. . . It was only because . . . he'd end up late. It was . . . in the teams interest that I help the idiot. Besides, I could rub it in his face in the morning.

I snatched it out of his hands -- Naruto began to complain loudly about it, too -- and turned down the alley to my right.

The main market is in the center of town, and the easiest way to most places made you pass through it. Naruto followed, with a neverending ramble of "You bastard! You just want the credit, don't you? I could've found it myself, you know! Next time, I'll ask Sakura or Iruka-sensei, damn you!"

The stores were annoyingly loud. The crush was hotter, and the voices rose to create a hot, sticky, crowded atmosphere, people chattering and groping through the street in the falling light. The sickly warmish cast the setting sun gave everything didn't help, and the smell of everything mixed and entagled was making me queasy.

Naruto, I thought grimly, probably loved it, and I flicked my eyes up to look at him, wondering vaguely why he'd fallen silent.

His arm brushed mine, and I froze.

For one, it felt strange. It was warm, and while it wasn't exactly comfortable to be warm in the heat of the throng, it was still a nice warmth that sent a prickly feeling down my spine.

For two . . .why was he so close? Naruto was usually content to walk a few steps ahead of me, and shout back whatever he had to say. But now, he'd fallen back, and I don't even think he realized he'd taken up a very defensable position next to me. . . I frowned even harder then usual, and --

It was then that I felt it. It hit me like a wall -- and I use that term extremely literally. I've been hit by actual walls before, and it was painful, to say the least.

An intent to kill:

Murderous intent.

An animosity so strong that those of the shinobi can actually feel it.

Instinctively, I nudged closer to Naruto. He'd brought his weapons, I hadn't bothered -- I might need access to them, if it came to a fight. My mind was whirling with possibilities of where the intent was coming from, who might it be -- what one person could possibly hate this much? It . . . was . . . . I felt it like a vise around my lungs, forcing my breath to come slightly harder.

I put my mouth to Naruto's ear. "Hey," I hissed, "You feel that?"

He turned to me, frowning while squinting his eyes to slits. He opened one eye, which seemed to almost swirl as he scratched the back of his neck absently. " . . . Feel what?"

Oh, for the Fourth's sake. What does he mean, _'feel what?!_' The hatred isn't even directed at me, and I'm hardly able to breathe. I walked almost conspicuously close to Naruto, using the oppurtunity to slip one of his kunai into my hand. How can he -- That idiot! How can he not feel this?! "You idiot!" I hissed, voicing my thoughts. "It feels like we're about to be --"

Naruto -- tripped. The sudden motion, plus my nerves, snapped my Sharingan into place in time to see that Naruto hadn't tripped accidentally. He'd been tripped by someone else. I'd never before seen the woman who I thought was responsible; I hadn't seen any of these people, having only rarely needed to come to this side of town. And the murderous intent I felt softened for a moment -- broken only by a brief amusement.

I peered at the crowd. This . . . made no sense.

Looking at them, I blinked blankly for a moment. I'd asked what one person could hate that much -- and here was my answer. No one. No one person did -- It was everyone, every person there, that created this animosity; everyone that poured this intent to kill, and they poured it all . . . at . . . Naruto?

Naruto's face was straight, and the careful blankness

But . . . _Why?_

This. Made. No. Sense.

Naruto's face was straight, as he slowly began to pull himself up. The snickers and poorly hidden laughter intensified as people slowed down slightly to gawk at him. Why would all these people hate Naruto? He was once a prankster, yes, but none of his tricks' effects had been bad enough or even lasted this long for them to hate him for it. And this much . . .

That was it. It was stupid, completely stupid. I stubbornly stepped closer to Naruto, and offered him my hand to help him up.

His hand was warm, but I didn't pay as much attention to that as I did the reaction of the rest of those around me. With a small frown, I shot a glare at the woman closest to me, trying to hide a derisive smirk behind her hand. "When people are walking," I snapped irritably, "You don't trip them. It's bad for your health." The woman blinked. Ugh. She was dumber then Naruto on a bad day. . . I decided quite graciously to clarify things for her. "Who's knows, one of their friends might take personal offense to it," I heard my voice snarl, in a tone more vicious then I meant it to be.

Not that I was complaining.

I glanced back out at the small crowd that had stopped. Shock, some faces wore, others a sort of disgusted disbelief. And others . . . pity?

_Pity?_ I . . . didn't understand that. With a frown, I strengthened my Sharingan, feeling the wheels surface until I could make use of its ability of Insight. My Insight wasn't as good as Kakashi's, and definitely not as good as the more refined, advanced version of it, the Byaakugan, but it could still tell me more then I'd normally be able to know.

My eyes roved over the crowd efficiently and drew a conclusion within a matter of seconds. However, it took half a minute to register as such, because it didn't make any sense.

They were disgusted that I, an Uchiha, an elite family of Konoha, had sided with Naruto . . . and those that pitied me did so because they knew something I didn't, something they weren't about to tell me. It didn't make much sense at all . . . I'd spent years with Naruto. What could they know that I didn't?

I, though I guard mine jealously,_ hate_ secrets.

I looked over at Naruto, who still seemed more shocked at my defensive outburst then by the waves of murderous intent pouring over the people -- some even more profusely then before -- at him. Murderous intent . . . I'm used to the feeling, but from so many people -- so many allies, fellow members of the leaf -- at once? If it were I, I'd be reaching for my kunai. It was unsafe for Naruto here, couldn't he tell?

His eyes . . . I'll admit, I've never seen a sky as blue as those eyes. They were wider then normal, the exact opposite of the cocky, slant-eyed vulpine grin he'd worn just five minutes before. He was as shocked as those before me . . . I'd never truly given him a reason to believe I'd defend him, never really shown a scrap of friendship, but . . . he'd doubted me. And for some reason, my chest ached at that . . . where was this pain coming from?

Because that's what my Insight read in him, he doubted me and my intentions here. Moreover . . . he was resigned to the situation. Resigned to such burning hatred. I glanced at the villagers and back at him again. He was used to this, wasn't he? He was . . . used to this treatment.

With an ego and pride as easily bruised as his, how was that even possible?

I frowned. Hatred was a powerful force . . . I, of all people, knew that . . . and yet for a moment, I felt the oddest sort of empathy towards Itachi. If he faced this hatred from me, everytime I faced him . . . no wonder he wanted me to kill him. No wonder at all . . . not that it matters. I hardened my eyes once more.

Itachi . . . An avenger such as I has no time for empathy . . .

But . . .

. . . Hn. Nevermind.

The glare I sent at the small group wasn't enough. It wasn't near enough. My hatred for Itachi was entirely rational, theirs for Naruto was not. No reasoning I could think of made them right.

Stepping up by him, I made a point of brushing by him in a more intimate gesture then necessary. He was still gaping at me, his mind so easily read through his facial expressions: he was confused, and almost dazed, trying to figure out what exactly I was doing. Well, no one ever accused Naruto of being the smartest shinobi. He didn't even register my hand on his wrist until I started pulling him away with it.

Giving a small yelp, he stumbled behind me as I dragged him forward. "Hey, hey hey hey! Sasuke -- What -- ?!"

"WE don't need to be here."

The stress on the 'we' ruffled a few feathers. Good.

I could give less of a damn about what anyone thinks of me, and I'd been certain for the longest time that all Naruto cared about was mere acknowledgment. Kind of stupid of him, really. He didn't need to be Hokage to be acknowledged. He was acknowledged just fine. It was just that he wasn't acknowledged very happily . . . to make an understatement.

With him still in my grasp, I walked slowly and purposefully off, my steps more tightly controlled then normal. Naruto managed not to stumble, though I was gripping him close enough it'd be easy for him to trip up again.

Why . . .

I didn't glance back at him. We weren't back in the familiar tangle of streets we usually lingered in, for one. I disliked that feling of murderous intent . . . It wasn't even directed at me! What must Naruto feel? For two . . I was beginning to fall into the pit of self-loathing. I wasn't supposed to react to things, and whatever bond I had with Naruto, be it rivalry or friendship, had forced me to. I'd probably snap at him if I tried to talk to him.

But I stopped anyway. It was the voice that made me. It was quiet and unfamiliar in every way, and it was Naruto that was using it.

I didn't have to stop to talk, or to think -- I'm a multitasker -- but Naruto was more comfortable speaking when still. Probably since when we're on the move for missions, his chatter is often ignored. But that, while it might be a problem, wasn't the problem I was worried about: I was wondering why, all the sudden, I gave a damn about Naruto conversational preferences.

His voice seemed cautious, and slow, and I heard him shift behind me. "Do . . . you want to know . . . "

I could finish that sentence for him. My heart lept to my throat, and I couldn't stop myself from whirling around to face him. Yes! My mind cried, eager to learn the seemingly impossible riddle. What could make people hate Naruto of all people? He stopped midsentence, startled by my eagerness.

He stood there, wary, tense, in a stance faintly reminiscent of a defensive block. He blinked solemnly at me, waiting for verbal reply, although my desperate assent had to be visible on my face. I was still clinging to his wrist, and a bit too tightly, which I noticed rather belatedly. I let go slowly, reaching to put my hands in my pockets.

What secret could be so horrible that it'd turn Naruto into this sober, serious, depressed . . . and, admittedly, pathetic looking creature? Did I want to know of this something so powerful, it bred a malice so stifling I could barely breathe when pressed beneath it?

Worse . . . if I knew, would I breed it myself?

I have lived off hatred. I am alive, I fight, I win, I breathe, I eat, I exist for the sake of a hatred that I was forced into, and for the sake of veangence, for the sake of justice, I welcome that hatred. I might even be, in some twisted part of me, grateful for the hatred that has kept me here. But for all that . . .

For all that, I didn't want to hate Naruto.

Hating Naruto is _not an option_.

I found myself viewing the rest of the conversation with a detached sort of air, feeling my body move and speak, but not really in complete control. My bangs slid in front of my eyes as I looked down, and slowly shook my head. "No, it's unimportant." I should have left it there and walked away, but something compelled me to explain myself. "I have gone this long without knowing, and I have no desire to become . . . like them, if that's what this secret might do to me."

His eyes widened again. It was beyond my comprehension why I was suddenly paying such a close attention to his eyes, but I felt an odd twinge at the knowledge that I was doing such. There was no purpose to it, and I didn't know why I was. His whisker-like scars stretched oddly at his out of place expression, and the effect was awkward on him, awkward . . altogether.

Maybe my thoughts showed. Or maybe Naruto can read my thoughts better then I. Either way, he broke back into vulpine expression of glee, though it was seemingly . . . forced. And his voice seemed a bit forced as well, and I wished I hadn't let my Sharingan fade back out. My Insight might have told me something more about that gesture.

"Maybe you aren't such a bastard after all, Sasuke." Thanks, my mind translated. Perhaps I didn't need the Sharingan after all.

My reply was a curt nod, and I turned back in the direction we were heading. "Maybe you aren't as much of an idiot as I thought."

I caught the flash of white teeth in the twilight gloom before he left my range of vision. While I did mean those words . . . I like to think that Naruto could translate that as well as I had his. It would have been a worthy feat, since I myself was unsure of what I wanted to mean.

I'm just . . . I shouldn't be, but I really am . . . I'm glad that it brought back the genuine glow to his smile.

_-- You said you read me like a book,  
But the pages are all torn and frayed -- _

-- But you really need to listen to me  
Because I'm telling you the truth  
I mean this, I'm okay!  
Trust me  
I'm not okay --

-- "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" --  
-- My Chemical Romance --

Sasuke has been acting kinda weird lately.

He didn't have to save me again. He's always doing that . . . saving me, I mean. I think he gets some sort of kick out of it. I can't think why he'd -want to, though. According to him, I'm the annyoing idiot.

Seriously. He didn't have to help me. He really didn't have to. It wasn't like a mission or anything, I mean. I've dealt with it all my life, and then all the sudden he decides to act all 'hero' and be a decent guy for once. Well, OK, he's been a decent guy before I guess, but not most the time . . . OK, Ok, so he's gotten a tiny bit better. _Tiny_. See? Just slightly . . .

. . . smug bastard. He's trying to earn my respect, isn't he?! Hmph.

Besides that, he's given me alot of funny looks. I mean really, really funny. I could be talking about something, and when he looks up to snap back at me with some wise-ass comment, he looks me in the eye and kinda . . . freezes. Like he sees something on my face, when there isn't, a weird recognition or something. I dunno, but then he just shrugs and ignores me for an hour or two after.

Not to mention, his fighting's been kinda off, like he's fighting more a . . a protective, defensive fight then an offensive one.

And this morning -- he's got bags under his eyes, like he didn't sleep at all last night. Since when has been so careless? You need sleep to fight good. I don't know if Kakashi is gonna do anything about it, or if Sakura could even tell, but his fighting's gonna be even more off, and I'm gonna have to allow for that . . .

Heh. I can fight for both of us, no problem! Damn pretty boy can just sit back and watch me beat all the baddies! Hehe, I bet Sakura'll be kissing my feet when she ses how worthless her Uchiha bastard really is.

I grin widely at Sasuke at this, for seemingly no reason, and he quirks an eyebrow at me in a muted kind of curious interest.

Another odd thing. Since when has Sasuke been interested in me? At all? About anything?

Seriously. We're on a mission. A sucky C class, but it's still a mission. You'd think he'd be all focused on it and crap, like usual, but he's been pretty . . . I dunno, spaced. I think it's cuz he's tired.

He seemed to realize what he was doing too late, and immediately flicked his eyes to the girl we were protecting. She wasn't all that important, but she wanted protection from bandits, so we were dragged along. She's actually kinda pretty, but making googly eyes at Sasuke. How annoying.

How is it he's able to get any one he wants, just cuz he looks good? I mean, I hate to think anything bad about Sakura, but that's kinda shallow. And besides that . . . how does he get all the GUYS on his side too? I mean, him being pretty shouldn't affect guys . . . or could it?

Thinking really insn't my strong suit. I mean, I'm not an idiot no matter what the Uchiha ass says, but still . . .

". . . Bastard," I muttered under my breath.

Sasuke sneezed.

Kakashi's eye curled up in what was assumed to be a smile. "Thinking about something, Naruto?"

I glanced at him, before turning my eyes back to the road. Nope, I wasn't thinking about anybody important, anyway. "Not really, I've gotta concentrate on the mission!" Yeah, Hokage's have to be able to keep their concentration! I bet the Fourth never got sidetracked by anything, and definitely not by confusing pretty-boy Uchiha bastards.

My seal suddenly flared up in a burn -- but I forced myself to remain outwardly relaxed. Damn, Kyuubi wasn't shutting up today. . . either the fox was in one of his I'm-Still-Badass, Really! AKA In-Serious-Denial moods, or . . . something was up.

Just my luck. Probably the former, but maybe I should check to see if the fox was actually worried about something. I sent out a quick wave of chakra to see if I could sense anything, just in case, and came up with -- Oh. Shit.

I dove at our charge. To her credit, the girl didn't scream, just curled up and let me shield her. I heard, with a bit more satisfacion then I shoulda had, the distinct 'thunk' of the blades hitting hard tree wood.

Sakura, I guess, didn't notice the kunai embedded in the tree the girl had been standing in front of. My dive ontop of the girl was a bit more obvious to her. "Naruto! Y-You _pervert_!"

Sasuke and Kakashi immedately sent a bunch of weaponry into the treetops, but didn't hit anything; the only hint that someone had been there was the waving of a few branches in the windless air. Well, Kakashi didn't jump up to chase him, so we stayed put until he said to give chase.

What the hell?! We had to catch him before he attacked again! What if he attacked during dinner?! I had to eat!

I looked up from my uncomfortable position to see Sasuke frowning at me. Great. What'd I do wrong now, thy most unholy bastard? I scowled at him in return. "Oy! Aren't we going chase the guy?!" I heard a cough from Sakura, and hastily added on, "Or girl. I mean, he might--"

The girl beneath me had shifted, and was staring up at me with wide eyes. I blinked at her before realizing that yeah, I should be standing up right about now. I bounced off of her, and grabbing her wrist, hauled her to her feet. "Yeah, you're OK now, right? Like I said, he might attack again! So we should go kick that guy's ass!"

After a moment blinking, Kakashi's eye curved upwards. "Let's make this a lesson in leadership."

I perked up. Leadership? Oh yeah! I was _made_ for leadership! After all, I was going to be Hokage when I got older. This would be good practice, not that I_ needed_ it, so yeah! I puffed up to make myself as visible as possible.

"What do you think . . ." The eye above the mask reopened, but the cocky tilt of his head remained. ". . . Sasuke?"

SASUKE?! And Kakashi said he didn't play favorites. It was _always_ Sasuke! Always always always!

I only hesitated a moment before using my secret weapon. "But . . . _Sasuke_!"

Yeah, secret weapon. That's another odd thing I noticed. I don't really call him by his name often -- there're too many other more fun, convienient names to use -- but he seems to really listen to me when I use it. I know, Sasuke? Listen? To the idiot? But like I said, Sasuke's been acting really weird.

He turned to me with an irritated look, but he was obviously listening.

I elaborated my argument with wide flung arms. "We can split up! Two stay here and look after her, two go and bust a cap! It's a C class mission, we can handle whatever's out there!" I know we could!

Not that the bastard would care all that much, of course, he's a --

"Fine. You and I will go."

My mouth opened on reflex to protest before it hit . . . he'd agreed with me. The hell? . . . Eh, if he was willing to admit that maybe he wasn't always the god of the universe, then hey, I'd go with it. I grinned widely and leapt into the trees. "Let's go let's go let's go!"

I didn't watch them give their parting waves, but took the time to get a major headstart on Sasuke.

He caught up me neck to neck within ten minutes, and I cranked up my speed, smirking. Sure, his eyes pick up more, but I can sense enemy chakra trails better. Ha! Just try and beat me, you --

Sasuke slowed behind me.

Huh?

I mean, weren't we kind of just racing, why was he slowing down? I slowed too, and with only a minor pout in my tone, whined out, "Oi, oi! Something up?"

He scowled, which wasn't really all that out of place for him and all, but he accompanied with a swift nod of his head. I immediately forced myself to move closer to him, curious. Only glancing at me once with a flick of his dark eyes, he muttered. "Genjutsu . . . we've fallen for a genjutsu. . ."

In response, I sent out my chakra to sense any seals in the area . . . and realized that damn him, the Uchiha bastard was right.

Sasuke put his hands together in a genjustu dispelling hand seal sequence. I joined in, and we muttered the seals' names as we formed them.

The telltale shimmer of the air around us proved once and for all that yeah, we'd been suckered.

I pulled my hands apart from the final seal, and peered around. Couldn't tell a damn thing from this position . . . I jumped to the branches of the tree above me, and leaped to the top. After just a few seconds of looking around, I groaned. The smoke from our campfire was faintly visible on the horizon of th forest, but it'd take forever to get back, even at our speeds.

"Sasuke," I jumped back down, with a pissed and annoyed look on my face, "The camps way over north west.

"Shut up, idiot."

I felt something in me lurch indignantly as Sasuke brushed off what I had to say like it was nothing. Again. My pissed look got even more intense, but Sasuke whirled and put his hand firmly over my lips.

I froze, unused to be touched at all by him. His hands were kinda cold, too. Still, he was standing pretty close, and his hand was touching my mouth. That's kinda . . . I dunno.

It's really . . . _intimate._

My eyes remained wide, and a dark glitter in his eyes kept mine glued to his. They narrowed, and he shook his head, cautioning me to silence. Even as I watched, his eyes faded into the crimson of his Sharingan. Which meant we were not alone.

Kinda touched something off in me, and I wasn't really sure what it was, but I wasn't all that OK with it. Too confused to do much else, I figured Sasuke might know what he's doing, so I should go with it.

He let go and stepped back, and when cold air rushed to where his body heat once was, I shivered slightly. He jerked his head towards the trees and made a subtle hand movement . . . Oh.

I don't know how I read him so well, but I could tell what he was trying to tell me. We were definitely not alone.

I noticed it's location first -- I mean, I've got a slight chakra advantage over Sasuke, what with housing a raging firey fox demon in my stomach. It's perfectly understandable that I can one up the Uchiha bastard. I whirled on the tiny bit of chakra I sensed, and Sasuke picked up the cue, whirling with me a moment later.

. . . Damn bastard was right. We were really, most _definitely_ not alone.

The red eyes seemed to swirl as they stared down at me with a cold and steady gaze, so cold and clear it was almost sterile. His black and red and white swirled robe was oddly still in the wind, even as his hair swayed gently, and as I stared back at him as evenly as I could, his head gave the slightest tilt to the left. There was seemingly no expression on his face.

It's a crime, I swear to the Fourth, for a guy to look that much like Sasuke. It's a good thing Sakura's never seen this guy, because she'd probably go missing-nin just to swoon over the guy. . . What is it which the Uchiha's, anyway? Does the pretty gene run in the family or something?

. . . I did not just acknowledge, even in a kind of rondabout way, that Sasuke was pretty.

I didn't have to say anything. Kind of a switch, but Sasuke's voice growled out behind me all that had to be said. For once. His voice was low, and almost deformed past recognition by the loathing that he compacted in it. _"Uchiha . . . Itachi."_

I think I saw Itachi's lip twitch. That's as close to a smile I think he gets . . . . smile? Sadistic bastard.

And I flung myself to the side, even as Sasuke jumped to get in the way as the elder Uchiha hurtled towards me in an almost invisible yet purposeful dive.

_-- They painted up your secrets  
With the lies they told to you  
And the least they ever gave you  
Was the most you ever knew --_

_-- And I wonder where these dreams go  
When the world gets in your way  
What's the point in all this screaming  
No one's listening anyway --_

-- "Acoustic #3" --  
-- GooGoo Dolls --

-o-o-o-

* * *

-o-o-o- 

AN: I have stuff to say! The first Author's Note is always the longest, so deal.

One: Naruto is not mine. Nor the music choices. This goes for all chapters, capiche?

Two: Plot demands long stretches of unrequited-ness on both parts, so unless you're the type who -- like me -- gets sadistic glee from characters pining after each other, with wet dreams and awkward moments and character A thinking character B is in love with character C -- this fic isn't for you. Nor is it for you if you think every single pairing in the show should be shounen ai. Share the love -- hets cool too.

Three: Join me in hatred of the formatting -- QuickEdit's being a nazi again.

Four: A beta reader would be HIGHLY appreciated, almost to the point of worship. Decent vocabulary required. Preferably one with both AIM and high pain tolerance, the former so I can yap at them randomly . . . about, you know . . . randomness, the latter so they can survive it. ;;

Five: The obligatory plea of 'review! review!' that I find annoying, but Iwill put anyway. Mweh.


	2. Staccato

Chapter Two

"Staccato"

**stac·ca·to** _adj._ Cut short crisply; detached: Marked by or composed of abrupt, disconnected parts or sounds

* * *

Itachi.

_. . . . Brother . . ._

I leapt to meet him, even as he threw himself at Naruto. My kunai hit nothing but air, and without any warning but a narrowing of his eyes, my brother flung my body to the ground like garbage. Even so, it put him off his track for my partner, and Naruto landed -- _safely_ -- a good few feet away.

Damn it. I couldn't win this. I was tired, I hadn't slept that night. My fighting wasn't at its best, and even if it were, then I still doubted I'd be able to beat him. It hadn't been very long since I'd last attempted to fight him, and my last loss still stung. I wasn't going to be strong enough. Itachi was after Naruto, but I didn't know why . . .

I shook my head lightly, telling my mind to concentrate on the fight. Naruto couldn't possibly stand much of a chance either, and even if we worked together, things were doubtful. I forced myself up, the bruises on my body protesting as I struggled to my feet.

Naruto kept up a firm stance, and didn't bother looking over to check after me. Things weren't bad if I could stand, he probably figured, so don't waste concentration on the good guys.

I was fine.

With that bit of assurance, he glared furiously towards Itachi. "Bastard!" Naruto snarled, posed awkwardly with clenched fists and widely spread feet. "Eat this!" His hands came together, forming the ball of swirling chakra he called Rasengan.

Itachi closed his eyes . . . and opened them, staring straight into Naruto.

I knew that attack. It was one that I had not yet mastered.

Itachi's Tsukuyomi.

His Eye of the World of the Moon. I'd been victim of that before. It broke me, broke my mind... But only after he broke my body. With it, Itachi brought his opponent into a universe of his own making, into a corner of his mind where he controlled time and space and everything within. And within it, he tortured you, with whatever he could torture you with. With me, it had been the repeated slaughter of my family, over... And over... And over again. I often wondered -- had I been unharmed, would it have worked so well? What would it do to a fully healthy Naruto?

More importantly, what would he show him, in that other universe within his mind? What could he show? Naruto's worst nightmare would probably be - I don't know - being beaten by me to be Hokage. But then, that'd probably just piss Naruto off to the point he'd fight harder.

I just had to wait and see. I hate waiting.

However long Itachi wanted Naruto to spend in that world, it only took a few seconds for it to pass in this one. Naruto didn't do anything, he just stood there as he had before, looking exactly the same. Had I read Itachi's attack wrong? What? I stepped forward, not taking my eyes off my brother. (He was just watching Naruto, show the switch – it seems like "Naruto, are you --"

I didn't see the punch coming. I felt it though, all of Naruto's considerable strength, shoved right into my cheekbone. I think it broke, I don't know, but if it didn't then, it most certainly did when my body was smashed into a tree as a result.

Naruto... He'd hit me?

Naruto'd hit me. Not for a spar, but in the middle of an actual mission, when I'm actually... depending on him.

My mind ran over that concept a few times before grasping it. He'd **_hit_** me. He'd really hit me, without pulling his punch, with all his might and speed and skill. But...

_Naruto..._ I forced my eyes to level. He was still as a statue. _Naruto, you..._

No, whatever Itachi had shown him had caused this. It wasn't Naruto, it wasn't to be expected that his mind escape Itachi unscathed.

Itachi. You bastard, you'll pay for that.

I ran a quick assessment of the pain. At least two ribs, broken from the tree limb. Some bones in my face, luckily none of my limbs hurt too badly except for bruising. I could still fight. I peered up, Naruto's arm was still outstretched from the blow. His forehead protector's shadow covered his eyes from view, and his muscles trembled with something other then exhaustion.

Itachi... what did you do to him?

"Sasuke... You." He shook his head and straightened, fists clenched. A drop of water -- tears? -- fell from his eyes, dampening the ground. And he looked up at me, with a glare more malevolent then those that had changed him so

And my first thought was that this was not Naruto. Naruto wasn't capable of being that scary, that cruel, wasn't capable of feeling such strong murderous intent towards anyone -- let alone feel it towards _me._

His eyes were red. Not from tears alone, but the red I'd only seen a few times before, the red he showed when his true strength came out. His pupils slit, he shook his head, his hair slightly more ragged then I was used to. His slender eyebrows creased his forehead in anger, hatred, betrayal -- my Sharingan overloaded my senses with the emotions in that look. He choked out, "If it's a... damn monster fox... you want..." Deep breath, a hissing sound. "It's... a monster you'll get."

Monster fox?

My Sharingan told me he was tensing for an attack. It told me to raise my arm in defense against it, to bring my knee up to his prone side in response. But, there's a difference between what my eyes can see and say and what my body can follow. I was too slow to react to it, and I was flung into the air as though I weighed nothing. A moment later, what felt like a sledgehammer hit my stomach, and I was slammed back into the ground, rolling aside like some sort of broken doll.

What? Naruto, monster fox... I'd heard of one, the one the Fourth died defeating...

I lay panting on the ground for a moment before forcing myself to my hands and knees. My throat burned, and I felt my insides convulse painfully as I coughed up blood. Kneeling, I lifted a shaking arm to wipe it from my lips, and it came back with a bloody smear on the back of it. I looked up at Naruto to find that my Sharingan had faded out from the shock of the hits. I brought it back up, cursing as it had trouble focusing on both Naruto and Itachi.

Naruto?

Naruto was shaking, muttering to himself, seemingly making one of his typical monologue speeches to himself under his breath. Uchiha Itachi was calm, walking slowly towards me, for once ignoring Naruto in my favor instead of the other way around. He peered down at me, standing there just long enough for me to realize my helplessness before kneeling.

"You didn't know this, little brother," He spoke with that eerie air, not caring about anything, "but Naruto's worst fear is being left alone." I couldn't see Itachi's face after that. I think I closed my eyes. "Left alone for no other reason then that of what's sealed within him. To be left unacknowledged."

His words of disgust, and the way he said them in that painstakingly neutral voice, still pissed me off, even more then Itachi usually does. His light "Hmph" was that of speculation. ". . . It took a pitifully short time to bring him to this point. I don't think he has much faith in you, little brother of mine."

That... bastard...

Naruto's eyes were getting redder. Orangey fiery red, to a red so bright it hurt to look at, and then it fazed finally to the darkest, deepest crimson, that of spent blood. I could catch scant phrases in his mumblings, "I... Sasuke... doesn't know... doesn't... hate me... Kyuubi... I'm... monster... "

Kyuubi?

My eyes widened. The monster fox. The Nine-tails the Fourth had died sealing, almost sixteen years ago.

No other reason then that of what's sealed within him.

_Those eyes..._

It made sense.

Why he had those malevolent, burning eyes...

The burst of power, the animalistic senses, the uncharacteristic murderous intent that extended towards everything and everyone and me. The claws. The whisker-scars. The red, unclean unnaturally strong chakra.

Those _eyes,_ damn it.

Somehow, somehow Naruto was the Kyuubi. Or a part of the Kyuubi. Or the other way around. Somehow, he had its power, its chakra, and my questions of Naruto always seemed to burn so deep... "How... is he the Kyuubi?"

My voice was raspy. I had not meant to speak out loud, and that small loss of control said much for my mental state.

"You didn't know." Itachi's low, soft voice rang in my ears, bored as usual, not sounding like he felt anything at all. "Sad, that I know him better then you. Just one more thing you'll have to catch up to me with, little broth --"

I saw the burst of chakra before my numbed senses let me feel it. Itachi never did finish his sentence.

I could hear the cloth of my shirt ruffle in the wind as I was thrown. That last hit was still affecting me -- I couldn't move my limbs enough to control my movements through the air very well, and I let myself relax, knowing that tensing my muscles before I possibly -- inevitably -- hit something was a bad idea. I could scarcely tell if I was flying headfirst or not. I'd be dead, if I was.

I hit a branch. If I hit any more, I don't know for sure since I blacked out for several seconds, but I probably did. And it did hurt. It hurt a lot, which I feel the need to add, because if I'm willing to admit to pain you should know that the pain came in large amounts.(bringing in the 'you' seems new My body screamed at me, telling me in a wordless stream of torment that it wasn't going to be able to take any more of this inhuman treatment from that which had once been Naruto.

I did, at least, wake up in time to hear a second thud close to me. I craned my neck to look.

Itachi rolled up next to me, his usually unused arm raised in a block.

Fuck. Naruto had gotten a hit in on Itachi before me. That bastard... I wasn't even sure which of the two I was calling that.

My brother isn't hit often, and doesn't stay down. The ground was indented, and Itachi crouched on his knee, arms still wrapped in his kimono, and on his face... My Sharingan could read his face, for the first time.

Itachi was shocked. Serves the bastard right, he should know better then to underestimate the power of a demon that had caused the death of a Hokage of Konoha. Did he think a demon cared who he hit? His Tsukuyomi had shown Naruto something involving me, I could tell, but a demon simply didn't care. My dealings with Gaara of the Desert told me that much.

My brother isn't stupid, though. A new development he hadn't forethought had appeared, and he was uncertain how to deal with it. His hands made a defined set of jutsus, and he disappeared in a puff of curling steam. I didn't relish in his leaving. It wasn't a fearful, decimated flee, it was a calculated retreat, and he planned on analyzing things further -- before returning.

He'd left me to deal with this. Damn him, I thought Itachi _wanted_ me to kill him. He'd left me alive for that reason, and now he was going to let me get killed anyway?

I was loathe to call whatever that thing was by Naruto's name. I don't know why, I shouldn't care...

A hand grabbed me by the neck and I found myself slammed harshly against a tree. My back rubbed roughly against the bark.

I looked pitiful. I know I did. I was a ragdoll, a discarded, bruised, and splintered ragdoll, held in a semblance of a standing position by a set of claws digging in my collarbone. My head thrown back, my eyes struggling not to clench completely shut in pain, my limbs refusing to respond to my pleas to do _anything_ --

I never expected to live long. I had hoped to, but I was experienced enough in misery to know that hope wasn't enough for anything. I was going to die at the hands of my . . . I almost gave a bark of laughter, but that would have been painful. I was going to die at the hands of my most important person.

But this both was and wasn't Naruto. I wondered which I would rather be killed by, Naruto or the Kyuubi, and found the former far more appealing. It was a surprisingly irrational thought for the middle of a fight; I think the blood loss had begun to get to me.

I forced my eyes open. I couldn't tell whether my Sharingan was still clinging to life or not. Naruto's eyes were covered by his bangs, and his teeth were clenched as claws dug deeper into my shoulder. He was only using one hand... I let my head fall forward limply, to rest on Naruto's collarbone.

Could I? Was my windpipe even able to handle anything other then these shallow, strained and panting breaths? My forehead lay precariously on Naruto's shoulder. All he had to do was twitch and my head would unbalance and fall.

Could he even hear my ragged gasps against his ear?

I closed my eyes. "Naruto... You idiot..." My lips managed to find the strength to curl in a trembling smirk.

"Don't..." I opened my eyes again, knowing my Sharingan was gone, and all I could see was black. My voice was incredibly hoarse as I sounded out the words. "Don't die."

I couldn't think of a better way to spend my last breath. I hadn't before. I still couldn't.

My focus was hazy. I couldn't even bring up my Sharingan again enough to clear it As I lifted my head with the last ounce of strength I could conjure, I could make out one thing.

I've...

I've never before seen a sky as blue as those eyes.

He looked stunned. I didn't need the Uchiha eyes to read him. He stared into my eyes, worried, scared, and in slight disbelief. He shook, I could feel his arms trembling as he held me up. He was the only thing keeping me from collapsing.

He was the only thing that kept me from collapsing from everything.

Naruto was back. I'd brought him out of the rage Kyuubi had fed so willingly, the rage that Itachi had induced, and now Naruto was back. I couldn't defend him from Itachi in my state, but I hadn't done that great a job at that to begin with. Naruto would live, and...

A sky as blue... As those... Those... Naruto's...

I couldn't concentrate. My mind felt so blurry, as though nothing had ever had an edge before, and everything seemed so fuzzy it melted together into a mass of memories and dark and the smallest points of light. Poetic, in retrospect, but at the time I barely noticed as I slipped forward into a pair of waiting arms.

Such... Such blue eyes... "Never seen... A sky as blue..."

Was I talking? Was that Naruto, practically sobbing into my chest, whining, clinging, begging me not to go?

Where was I going?

The world faded slightly. Naruto looked up at me... Was the last thing that I'd see before I died going to be Naruto? I don't think I'd mind that, but...

No... It was going to be black... Darkness. How fitting...

And so I let myself fall.

_-- . . . Then maybe we could ignore  
That the shore used to be the edge; explore more  
Than one block from the next sitting over  
With nothing on my shoulders  
But the clothes on our backs  
And you leave us here with nothing,  
expecting no attack  
With soldiers on the way. --_

_-- More than just the right thing to do  
The time has just passed us up instead.  
Maybe we could work our way around it.  
If we only knew the truth about it . . . --_

_-- "The Truth"--_  
-- Nonpoint --

I couldn't break my eyes away, not even to save his life.

I felt the red chakra of the Kyuubi drain from me all at once, snapping me back to reality in a single swirling, disorienting second. I felt Sasuke's heaving breaths, struggling to breath in each rattling intake of air. I felt my fingers digging into his shoulder, buried partially in muscle and sinew, blood dripping down my wrist and arm to my elbow. I felt my eyes widen and stare.

I heard my voice tremulously ask, "S-Sasuke?"

I saw... All I saw was Sasuke's face. His tired eyes didn't even blink as they watched me with an intensity that I would've normally said was impossible to show with such black eyes. His teeth were stained from the blood he'd had to hack up, and his body was slack and unable to hold up his weight.

In a weird, twisted kind of way, it was a good thing Sasuke was about to pass out. His eyes swam out of focus and his head dipped forward for a second, jarring me enough to force my hand out of his collarbone. His body fell forward without the support, knees sagging, and his head thumped into my chest. Reflex wrapped my arms around under his, keeping him from hitting the ground.

I set him back against the tree, taking in all that I hadn't been able to before. The claw marks on his arms, the burns from raw chakra -- was that a mark from Rasengan on his torso? -- the bruises on his body, the blood... There was way, way too much blood, too much proof, and I couldn't deny it.

I'd done this. I'd hurt Sasuke like this.

I closed my eyes for half a second. How was this... I didn't think I could do something like this. Since when do I... Damn it! Since when does a future Hokage of Konoha practically kill their important people?!

Answer? He doesn't.

What was I thinking?! Yeah, I've gotten pissed and attacked Sasuke before, but I've never really, honestly tried to _kill_ him. And looking at him now... Bones were broken. Ribs, yeah. Collarbone, definitely. His spine? I shuddered, not wanting to even think about that possibility. What the _hell_ was I _thinking?!_

My mind gave me an answer I didn't want to think about just then. Red Sharingan eyes, two scars that lay beneath -- and the monstrous world that lies within... I shuddered, and bile swam up to burn my tonsils. Stubbornly, I choked it down. It wasn't real, I just had to remember that, right? Sasuke was the important thing here, not his evil excuse for a brother and his demented dreamworld.

I looked at him.Sasuke's stare into my eyes was seemingly empty, glazed over by pain or hate or something. His lips parted. Oh God, he wasbarely able to do that much... I had to lean forward and practically put my ear to his mouth to hear him.

"Never seen..." His voice was hoarse; Sasuke was a mess. I wondered if he even knew what he was saying. "A sky... As... Blue..."

Blue sky? ...Dumb ass, didn't he know it was dusk? Oh, wow, he was really, really out of it. That wasn't a good thing, not this far from camp, not ever. I grabbed his collar and pulled it down, shaking him. "Sasuke!"

His eyes blinked again, and his eyes fazed and unfocused almost lazily. My chest almost leaped right out of me. "Sasuke!" I didn't know if he'd wake up or not. I looked around quickly, knowing I wouldn't see anything but forest. "Damn it, Sasuke, focus on me!"

His eyes closed. My stomach seized up, as though clenched by a sadistic and cruel fist, and for once I couldn't blame it on the fox trapped there. I snapped, and shook his high collar harder, heedless of his injuries. Maybe the pain would bring him back to reality. "Damn you, Sasuke! If you go, I swear to the Fourth, I'll... Damn it, just don't go!"

I should've known not to tell the stubborn bastard to do anything. He always does the opposite of what I say. His eyes seemed to stare right at mine, then through them, then past them -- and then his muscles seized up and his eyelashes fluttered, and he went completely slack. His neck tilted back, exposing so many vital spots he'd smack himself if he were awake to see.

Frantically, I checked his neck for a heartbeat. I'm no healer, but it really wasn't supposed to be that faint, right? I had to get him to help. Konoha was closest.

What about the mission? _Screw it!_ part of my mind screamed, but I shoved it down unwillingly. Got to think straight. I'd head by camp first then, was on the way, but I'd really kill somebody if Kakashi said we couldn't get Sasuke to the hospital

I slid my wrists and arms under his head and knees to pick him up, bridal. It'd be easier to lift him soldier style -- heave him over my shoulder to put his weight on my back -- but his wounds would just get worse if I did that. I didn't cry. I kind of think I need to point that out. I mean, he wasn't dead, and he wasn't going to die either. I wasn't going to let him.

The bastard was too stubborn to up and die on us, anyway. He had to be.

As if on cue, my seal began to burn again as the Kyuubi sought to feed my agitation. I tried to ignore it, but even my frantic footfalls weren't enough to completely distract me. I stifled an odd bark of laughter as I ran. I blame it on the panic, since it wasn't a very funny thought, it was actually kind of sick.

For the first time I could remember, Sasuke slowed me down.

_-- Heaven bent to take my hand  
And lead me through the fire  
Be the long awaited answer  
To a long and painful fight --_

_-- It's the bitter taste of losing  
Everything that I've held so dear --_

_-- Though I've tried, I've fallen. . .  
I have sunk so low  
I've messed up better,  
I should know. . .  
Don't you come around here,  
And tell me 'I told you so . . .' --_

_"Fallen"_  
Sarah McLachlan

* * *

AN: Did I mention this was an AU? And I do mean of the Sasuke-was-smart-enough-to-DODGE-the-funny-vampire-seal-bite-thingy type. Other then that, Sakura is actually a normal human being, and OMG! She _isn't_ a total bitch?! The horror!

. . . And yes, Naruto's POV is abysmally short. I made up for it with Sasuke, didn't I?


End file.
